A NOTE FROM BELLROY

There’s more to life than ‘stuff and things’.

Since our beginning, we’ve been on a mission: To design a life of flexibility and freedom for our customers. And to have a positive impact on the world and all those who roam it.

In designing a life of flexibility and freedom, we focus on designing products that improve the way people carry their things through life. And to make a positive impact on the world, we commit to using business as a force for good: being stringent with our environmental policies; making products that can be used and loved for a really long time; and giving to charities that are hugely effective in bettering the lives of humans or animals.

We’re pretty active in those areas, but we tend not to shout about it (some say it’s an Australian thing).

But if we talk a little louder, maybe it can help us do more good. Because we know there’s strength in numbers. And we hope to do as much good as we reasonably can with what – and who – we have around us.

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The donation from a single Bellroy helped up to 20 people sleep better. And with every 20–100 Bellroys sold, we could say we saved a life.

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During the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend – at a time when folks in the US were exchanging gifts and saying thanks, and the world was going wild for deals and discounts – we wanted to do something to give back and say thanks, too. We wanted to encourage considered purchasing. And discourage excess. We wanted to encourage human connection. And discourage the kind of marketing that suggests you buy things you don’t need, just because they’re on sale.

WE WEREN'T ABOUT SAVING MONEY, WE WERE ABOUT SAVING LIVES.

(Well, we’re about this every weekend – and weekday in-between – but this time we made sure we shouted about it.)

Between Friday 24th and Monday 27th November 2017, when someone bought a Bellroy, we donated the cost of 10 bed nets to the most in-need parts of Africa. That was USD25 from every purchase.

We hoped we were encouraging folks to buy consciously. And feel good about it when they did.

WHY MALARIA?

Half a billion people fall ill to malaria each year. One million of those people die. Yet, malaria is preventable. And the most effective prevention is avoiding the infected mosquitoes by sleeping under an insecticide-treated net. There are organizations who can very effectively fund these insecticide-treated nets in developing countries such as Ghana, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and make sure all donations can greatly impact human life.

One net can protect two people from falling ill; it is estimated that for every 200–1000 nets distributed, we actively save a life.

So, in other words, the donation from a single Bellroy sold helped up to 20 people sleep better. And with every 20–100 Bellroys sold, we could say we saved a life.

WE DON’T PUT A TIMER ON OUR GIVING.

While we hoped this campaign would make a great difference, our giving didn’t end when Cyber Monday did. Those familiar with our considered approach to product design won’t be surprised to hear we also apply it to our giving. Thanks to GiveWell, we can see just where the biggest difference is made and focus our efforts in those areas. And we continue to support effective charities all year ‘round.

We are grateful for your support – on that weekend and every other day. Because without you, we wouldn’t be able to help anyone at all.